ATTENTION all RODI (chloramines) users

[Chad and Belinda]

I was talking with someone yesterday and thought I would post this. Here in Georgetown, our water system requires us to use chloramines filters for my RODI. I believe Taylor is another area that uses it. Does anyone that uses a RODI system with chloramines filters have what they condider a successful SPS or LPS system? I would really like to hear from someone who has been on a chloramines AND a chlorine system and if they noticed a difference in their water quality in regards to their reef system.

[Timfish]

Are you talking about the KDF/GAC pre filter cartridges that use copper & zinc along with carbon? If so rule me out but I would be leary of filtering water through copper with out testing it myself. If you're asking what I do for the chloramines in the tap water in Austin all I use is the generic carbon/GAC prefilter cartridges typical for RO filters that breaks apart (or most of) the chlorine/ammonia and removes the chlorine but leaves the ammonia. As far as removing ammonia I don't worry about it as it's food for corals zooanthellae. I also have one system I've been running for 4 1/2 years with tap water just using Ammo Detox to treat the water immediately before a water change.

[caferacermike]

For the last year I've been using nothing more than tap water and my SPS are growing like crazy.

No skimmer, no filters, no water changes, only tap water coming out of an auto top off. No cyano. I do have to clean green film algae from my glass about once a week. I never ever had purple coraline, not in 7 years of owning the tnak. Now that I've quit with RODI and skimming, the stuff is growing everywhere.

[victoly]

Carbon blocks will remove both chlorine and chloramines. Just need to keep up with carbon block changes.

[+olaggie01]

Chad,

I've been using a chloramine system from BRS (let me know if you want to order some filters as I'm out and need re-order from BRS). I think it has made a huge difference in my system. Calvin mentioned it a while back and I called the City of Gtown about it. They said they do flush with chlorine but it is not that often but once is enough for me.

[Chad and Belinda]

For the last year I've been using nothing more than tap water and my SPS are growing like crazy.

No skimmer, no filters, no water changes, only tap water coming out of an auto top off. No cyano. I do have to clean green film algae from my glass about once a week. I never ever had purple coraline, not in 7 years of owning the tnak. Now that I've quit with RODI and skimming, the stuff is growing everywhere.

Your brave Mike BUT if is working so you can't argue with that. Lol I'm just a little nervous about going that far.

[Chad and Belinda]

Chad,

I've been using a chloramine system from BRS (let me know if you want to order some filters as I'm out and need re-order from BRS). I think it has made a huge difference in my system. Calvin mentioned it a while back and I called the City of Gtown about it. They said they do flush with chlorine but it is not that often but once is enough for me.

Calvin was the one that told me about it. He said he got with you as well. I was going to ask you what you thought about it but I also wanted to see if others had any experience.

The conversation I had with someone this weekend was that when they were in Williamson County and having to use chloramine, they had a hard time growing sps and that at best their health wasn't the best. When they set up their tank in Austin, everything changed. They thought that it may have very well have been what the water was being teated with. I was wanting to here from people to see how their tanks did in our type of water system.

[victoly]

City of Austin uses chloramine in their treatment process.

[(Bio)³]

so if they use chloramine and I dont have a chloramine RODI system will I still have TDS showing when I produce my water?

[bige]

So this from randy Holmes Farley chloramines and reef keeping

In the case of a reverse osmosis/deionizing system (where carbon is usually part of the prefiltration prior to the RO membrane), the ammonia is partially removed by the reverse osmosis system. The extent of removal by the RO membrane depends on pH. At pH 7.5 or lower, reverse osmosis will remove ammonia from 1.4 ppm-Cl monochloramine to less than 0.1 ppm ammonia. The DI resin then removes any residual ammonia to levels unimportant to an aquarist.

Edited September 19, 2012 by bige

[victoly]

so if they use chloramine and I dont have a chloramine RODI system will I still have TDS showing when I produce my water?

yeah, what bige said. Your RODI unit (carbon, and then the DI resin) should remove it fully. I need to get my hands on a chloramine test kit to determine whether my carbon block is doing a sufficient job.